Farage Blows the Doors Off

Anyone For Tea?

Join Dan Hannnan and friends at the Brighton Tea Party at 5.30 p.m. this Saturday 27 February at the Best Western Hotel, 143-145 King's Road, Brighton BN1 2PQ

Actual tea optional.

TB better go get a hotel sorted...

Two Chairman

Once upon a time this blog used to write regularly about the Conservative Future. After realising it was much more fun to take the mick out of the Lib Dems and writing a dissertation about political youth, TB aimed his sites elsewhere. This special war-room briefing from Pickles and Michael Rock, CF Chairman is worth a peek though.

More info

:



Disappointed Rock didn't use the word chum though.

LBC Tonight at 8pm

Though you've probably given up on TB blogging this week, if you are near a radio or a computer, or even a Sky box, you can hear him on LBC Radio tonight at 8pm. He will be chatting about this miserable week for Labour with Chuka Umunna Labour's PPC for Streatham. Will be interesting to put a name to a face given a couple of pieces TB has written in the past.

Hope you can

tune in

at 8 and once again apologies for the shocking lack of blogging.

McBride Wouldn't Put Up With This

TB has been busy with other more bill-paying projects, though he has been quiet, he was blown away by the last two days. There is a big difference between the smack of firm leadership and sustained bouts of aggressive bullying. What has been consistent for many years  now is the similarity of the allegations and rumours coming out of Number10. It had to go mainstream at some point...

As the dust settles on the last forty-eight hours that have been dominated by discussions of bullying, complaints, allegations, counter attacks and smears it is important to make sure things are kept in perspective. The reason Downing St would have been so angry with the Pratt angle to the story was the excuse it gave the Monday papers go, no holds barred, into an full on scattergun attack on the PM. Her actions unravelled pretty quickly and although she has now gone to Max Clifford saying she has evidence, it is safe to say when that leech is involved you have damaged yourself. But in reality that is a mere side-story.

Whether or not it was appropriate for Ms Pratt to wade in with her angle, her story was just too tempting for the press. It doesn't matter that it fell apart, the damage was done. On Sunday and Monday the papers were plastered with anti-Brown headlines giving a glimpse into the world of the "Prime Monster". The subsequent attacks and fall of Pratt were too late, a million front pages and breakfast bulletins and headlines had been read. Though a thug, it is clear that Damian McBride was Brown's best operator, you can bet a pretty penny that he would have shut down this story for his raging boss, but then again that was part of the problem. Either way, whoever is running the bunker had a bad day yesterday. It is also clear that Mandy is way, way past his peak at dealing with this sort of storm.

Despite their best efforts drag Ms Pratt down with them, Labour have taken a big hit on this one and they know it. Of course we need firm leadership, but not an unstable, out of control centre piece of a whole culture of aggression and attack. Brown is running out of time, just get in the car and go to the Palace.

Prezza Loses It Live

Last night's Newsnight was something special. The full Rawsnley/Prescott/Paxman/Fink/Hattersely dingdong is well worth a

catch up

but the moment of John Prescott losing it was the stuff of legend:



Well done to

TP

for getting the recording.

Pressing Buttons

Skip 16 mins into this vid from CPAC for a gem of a speech from YBF's Matthew Richardson:



The crowd reaction to buzzwords is hilarious. As is the fact taking the piss out of Kerry McCarthy has gone global.

Whose Idea Was This?

Gordon Brown just arrived to his wake to this tune:



Face palm.

Libreal Consparacy

At least Etonians can

spell

.

A Message to Purnell

Something is up, Purnell didn't even tell his staff he was quitting. A damning indictment of the Labour Party and their electoral chances. If whatever job he is expecting doesn't fall into place TB has

a suggestion

:

A job at the DWP would be fine by TB.

CCHQ Deploy Secret Weapon

Sorry for another video but a busy bear:



Was sceptical but he's actually remarkably astute.

Thanks DEFRA!

Tories Say Sod Twitter

Touching on what TB

said the other day

, it is interesting to note which party actually understands how to use social media. Labour huff and puff abot how great they are at engaging on Twitter, yet in reality all this really means is that there is an exteded circle jerk of about two hundred core actavists all talking about the same nonsense and thinking an election can be won with a hashtag. There is no real branching out to a wide audience. The media love Twitter, it's a hook, but under the radar is where the real action is happening:

Dave and co on the other hand are cutting through the chatter and actually targeting voters rather than activists. Last week it was Osborne on Facebook, a site where millions rather than thousand go and spend significant time staring at pages on which well placed ads can be planted, and today Dave is doing a

live chat on MSN

. A socal network used by far far more people than Twitter.

For all their boasting chat, Labour really are dumb.

Dumb dee Scum

Tory Radio

have still got their research hat on. David Wright's publicly funded attacks in all their base glory. Everyday far worse things are said online from both sides, however not by Ministers. Remember, your taxes are being used to fund this:

Dc is simply a hypocritical vicious leader of the nasty party. Jeopardising justice while taking millions from Ashcroft #Toryscum

Georgey Porgey looks like he is holding in a big fart

Out of recession and Nick Robinson says they are bad economic figures. Is he DC’s stooge or what?

oh and apologies for telling it like it is. Cameron IS an opportunist tosser. Or should I have said the Rt Hon gentleman?

Some say scrappage scheme, some say fiscal stimulus, others argue Eric Pickles & services to pie industry. I couldn’t comment

quite. Dc is a horrible opportunistic scumbag

Oops DC. Looks like another FU:
@SkyNewsPolitics utter shit but an easy to read story

Paxman is a sneering tosser sometimes. Was clear straightaway Peter M got better of him
Remember John Smith’s Social Justice commission – Tories had nothing to say then either #Toryscum

Good article on young Tory toffs in Conservative Future (racist, dumb and cocky):
Poor dc. Petty and spiteful to point out the Tories are a bunch of toffs or just plain true!!! 

Think dc is on the back foot (the Eton toff)

I said Nadine was Fruit and Nut. Surprised she is “allowed” to speak such guff.
Poor old Georgey Porgey. Bet dc wished he had listened to GB on economy not gp. You gotta feel for the oik

Madine Dorries. Fruit and nut or fruitcake – which is better?
The Sun are just scum. Discuss

Which ones of these were also "tinkered with"?

Totty Watch: Blogging Barbie

TB has to say he is rather smitten with the latest addition to the blogosphere:

Watch out Nadine, you've got competition. 

Spoofs of the Spoofs of the Spoofs

ConHome have launched

MyLabourPoster

... Not sure what CCHQ will have to say about a negative version of a such a positive campaign, but frankly with Labour and the left having set the negative bar so low it's always good to put the boot in.

You know what to do...




UPDATE 18.52: The hypocrisy of Labour is quite breath-taking. When they attack Tories it is all a good laugh, yet they can't stand the heat. John Prescott has gone into full hysterics mode, whining to Eric Pickles. Did anyone hear a word of complaint to Labour Party officials about mydavidcameron.com? No of course not, get a grip!

Quote of the Day

"That which is not just, is not Law; and that which is not Law, ought not to be obeyed."

-Sydney

Felt appropriate given 

the news

this morning.

Last Night at the Lion

As TB reported last week, tragically someone thinks it will be a good idea to rip the life and soul out of the Red Lion and install a food bar and spruce it up. TB is still quite grumpy about this.

Well wonks and wonkettes, hacks and bag carriers, lobbyists and bloggers, it's time to give Westminster's finest watering hole the send off it deserves. The dingy dark corners just right for plotting and gossiping will never be the same again.

So one last night at the Lion it is

.

Be there on Friday 5th March after work. Peanuts optional.

Will it Win Votes?

For those of you who missed it check out TB chattingg away with Clifford Singer from spoof attack site

mydavidcameron.com

on Sky News last night:



Remind TB not to do his jacket up next time he is filmed from that angle.

Quote of the Day

"Gordon Brown claims today that the country is turning away from a celebrity culture and insists his seriousness is in tune with a new spirit of the times."

-

The Guardian

Saturday 14 April 2007